Every adventure begins with a girl and her best friend. Some take place on the dark fratty floors of college; others take place on equally dark, but significantly chic-er (and cleaner) floors of European clubs. The venue may have changed, but the girls are the same: two weird, kindred spirits. One a Grecian bombshell, 6-feet-tall, the other, little ol’ me. It had been a while since we’ve seen each other, but when you vibe with someone, time and distance doesn’t matter. We were college roommates turned inseparable best friends—and after years of talking about visiting Greece together, we bit the bullet. First stop: Athens. Aside from the Acropolis, Athens didn’t come highly recommended as a go-to stop—and I’m glad I took heed. Two nights (one to recover from the 9-hour flight, and another to experience a full day in the city) was just perfect. Here’s what I recommend: Shop a local grocery store for fruit and veg; you can’t beat the quality of fresh foods (and you’ll want to save up for expensive dinners and nights out on the other islands). Grab fresh juice at Nālu Cafe at sunset. Drive around the city so you can see the Acropolis at night. Relax and unwind before heading out after midnight (any earlier…